My Kannada article on Sneha Saptami

Please click here to read the article on thatskannada.com http://thatskannada.oneindia.in/nri/article/2010/0225-sneha-saptami-kknc-north-california.html

A friendly atmosphere at Sneha Sapthami

KKNC 2010 - Sneha Sapthami program on Feb 20.

The bay area is home to 5000 Kannadigas (5K-K) according to one estimate. Kannada Koota of Northern California (KKNC) formed in 1972 has been doing a wonderful job in providing a forum for the community to stay in touch with their culture, language and traditions. Continuing that agenda the 2010 committee made a very good start with the program Sneha Saptami. (Photo: Gowthami Nagaraja).

Having Sneha (friendship) as the objective of this event was a very good idea. In all aspects of the program there was a well planned effort to maintain a friendly and family spirit and it was highly successful. It started right at the doors where smiling committee members. welcomed the arriving attendees. Inside the auditorium one could see people smiling and talking to friends while enjoying the entertainment on the stage. It was like a family event . The hospitality committee did a good job mixing and talking cordially to the with the attendees. The only thing missing was the traditional mantra heard during marriage celebrations "tumba taDa AghOytu. nidhannake OOTA maadi".

This committee with Raghu Halur as President appears highly enthusiastic and motivated. They had a well planned agenda and had come up with creative ideas to engage the audience. The team exhibited cordiality and enthusiasm which rubbed off on the attendees too. (Below: Crowd of more than 1000. Photo: Yogi Subbaiah)It is a good forum for talented members to display their talents under the gaze of a supportive audience. More importantly for women, it is a great occasion to display their grand sarees and latest acquisition in jewelery department. It appeared that some of them could not decide which jewelry to wear and so played it safe by wearing their entire inventory from their safe deposit boxes. This burden explains why they could not reign in their kids . It was left to the men folk to take care of the kids while at the same discussing economy and world peace. Reminds me of a hanigavana by famous Kannada poet Dundiraj.

shopping mugisi manege baruvaaga
hendathiya mukhadalli santrupti, nagu,
ade gandana kaiyalli -
byaagu magu

(Elegent Front Decoration: Photo by Yogi Subbaiah)
The program line up was short by previous standards but I did not feel that I missed any thing compared to previous programs. KKNC programs have developed a bad habit of going on for long hours causing the audience to leave half way through the programs. Those who stay back feel exhausted by the time they reach their homes close to midnight. This committee had promised to start and end the program on time and lived up to it.


The program was started off with wonderful music by Padmaja Kishore's students. Anitha and her troupe performed a spirited dance to the tune of 'cheluvayya cheluvo'. 'Kaalinga mardana' dance by students of Reema Kashyap was nicely done. (Right: Photo by Yogi Subbaiah) Kiran Mohan and team put up a hilarious program called Mad Ads which reminded me of my college days. This program was noteworthy because it displayed a freshness which is very welcome. Their string of short sketches were well created and well acted. This program was funny and spoofed many current events. I am sure we can expect many more innovative and novel performances from this team. Padma Rao and team's 'Mysooru mallige' was a tribute to the late Dr. C Aswath. They sang K.S Narasimhaswamy's poems really well and had small enactments in between. The stage setting was nicely done too. (Photo below:Scene from Mysooru Mallige: by Yogi Subbiah) . The last program was 'Saamarasyke ondu Salahe' by the drama veteran Alamelu Iyengar. It was hilarious with barbs on the behaviour of men, women and the confused NRI parents. Apart from being funny Alamelu delivered a very thoughtful analysis of the relationship between children and their NRI parents. This program was very well received by the audience which rolled in laughter at the way the drama laid bare their own foibles. It is a good sign that people are wiling to laugh at themselves. The anchors Satheesh Heddese and Kavya Kurbur did a good job in providing transitions between programs. There was an elegant artistic display in the front.

In the spirit of the Silicon Valley Inc.'s corporate mantra, there is always scope for improvement. Here are some. Speeches should be kept short. It would have been more effective if the talking between programs was a little bit shorter . The food was not up to the mark. The Biryani was dry and the sabji spicy. The fact that my 3 year old daughter emptied her water bottle into my food tray did not solve either of these problems. I understand it is a bit hard to come up with a universally appealing menu. It is not for nothing that they say "oota tanna icche, nota parara icche'. (taste is personal)

I liked the theme of Sneha (friendship). The audience picked up on this queue and indulged in a whole lot of friending. (The new addition to the English lexicon, thanks to Facebook). I myself had very pleasant conversations with my college mates, old and new friends. It was a great sight to see the members sitting on the floor eating food and chatting and laughing.

The audience appreciated the motto of this team - 'every one should go ba ck from the function feeling they had a friendly experience'. The team led by Raghu achieved this objective. They deserve a pat on the back. I am sure KKNC will continue to flourish under this team.

Review: MaLeyali Jotheyali

Title: MaLeyali Jotheyali (Kannada 2009)
Starring: Ganesh, Anjana Sukhani, Yuvika Chaudary, Rangayana Raghu, Dattanna, Sihikahi Chandru, Sihikahi Geetha, Sharan
Directed by: Preetham Gubbi
Music: Hari Krishna
Photography: Krishna

Verdict: Enjoyable and worth watching.

Now-a-days there are lots of Kannada movies being screened here in California bay area. As frequently as once a month we get the opportunity to watch a movie which has been certified as a 'recent hit' by Kannada audience in India. Some times the movies are so mediocre that they leave the bay area audience wondering how such a movie could be a hit. Many times these movies 'running to packed houses in Karnataka' not only lack in quality but they also peddle shocking levels of crass and tasteless entertainment. So it is hard to have an expectation of a movie watching experience. My simplified yardstick is 'if it is a Kannada movie, just go and watch it'. And it is always fun to watch a movie with a crowd.

Theatre Atmosphere
So on Saturday Feb 6th, I was at Serra theatres in Milpitas for the 6 PM show. I stood in a long line to but tickets and I went into the theatre. I was in disbelief as I saw a noisy and excited crowd of about 150 eagerly waiting for the movie to start. That was in itself a thrilling sight. And when the Golden hero Ganesh made his entrance, there was whistling and screaming. I was pleasantly surprised at Ganesh's stardom in this part of the world.

Plot (does not reveal the whole story)
The movie's protagonist is Preetam (Ganesh) who has passed his PUC (12th) exams in his 7th attempt. He is a road-romeo who proposes to any young girl he finds attractive. His box of tricks to charm the girls include flattering the girls with extremely over-the-top poetic phrases. He gets into form especially when it starts raining. His rich but good natured simpleton dad (Rangayana Raghu) wants to get him married in the traditional arranged way. So Ganesh's friend Venkatesh (Sharan) hatches a plan where they convince the dad that Ganesh should go and meet Venkatesh's military uncle Tamayya (Dattanna) and marry the uncle's (fictitious) daughter. Tammayya lives in the hilly Sakaleshpura. Ganesh arrives there to meet 2 love interests - Sandhya and Anjali. Sandhya (Anjana Sukhani)is the modern aggressive female whereas Anjali (Yuvika Chaudary) is the traditional demure heroine. The story revolves around this love triangle in a filmy but good natured way.

Analysis
The director Preetam Gubbi has treated the story line in a mature way and has attempted to keep it lively and handles the emotional scenes with good restraint. He has avoided overt sentimentality and avoids syrupy dialogues and situations. But the movie does occasionally slide into formulaic dialogues and situations not wanting to let go of the tried and trusted tricks to win the audience. For instance the irritating and over-talkative hero who tries to woo the girls with his goofiness.(I find it hard to believe that women keep finding this attractive). Then there is over-cute child who talks beyond her age. But in spite of making these objections I find the director ends up on the positive side.

Performance
The movie has a lot of attractions. The lush mountains, homes and life of the Malnad area in and around Sakaleshpur have been captured beautifully. Background music by Hari Krishna is very good and there are some melodious songs by Sonu Nigam, Tipu, Shreya Goshal and Ganesh himself. It was funny that Hari Krishna has used an All India Radio tune during sombre emotions.

Ganesh reiterates that he has very good talent for histrionics and that his star value is dependable. Rangayana Raghu devours the role of the goofy dad. Yuvika (Anjali) has a freshness about her looks, smile and acting that she has a good future. Anjana who plays Sandhya looked like an unlikely choice for a heroine but she uses the opportunity to show her acting ability. The two heroines and Ganesh bring a lot of charm to the movie. But I am still peeved that the have bring heroines from outside.

This movie is definitely worth watching and provides good entertainment in spite of hanging on to some boring cliches.

Score: 7 out of 10

We don't quit. I don't quit

After his first year as President, Obama gave his first ' State of the Union' address today broadcast on TV from 6.00 PM to 7.30 PM PST. The recent loss of the Senate seat held by Ted Kennedy has given the Republicans a sudden jolt of hope and they seem to think that they now have the Democrats on the defensive. The Democrats also suffered setbacks in the Governor's race for two states. All this had given an opportunity to Obama opponents to start pulling him down. The Press joined in contributing its part by crying hoarse that one Senate seat-loss implies that the entire country has lost confidence in Obama. It is pathetic on the part of the TV and News media to use this one isolated loss as an attractive story to increase their ratings. Every news outlet now wants to be seen or heard talking about what the Massachusetts loss means to Obama or the Democrats or the whole country. The confidence with which the so called experts speak on TV programs gives you the impression that they know what they are talking. I am now totally suspicious of such people. They only know as much as any common man. The only advantage they have is that they have access to the media outlet and they are brash enough to give baseless opinions.



With this background Obama's confident and hard hitting address today was very welcome. He spoke with an authority and clarity that inspired confidence in me. He impressed that he still has the situation under his control. He has such an excellent mastery over the language and idea formation and a brilliant way of sharing his thoughts that he can win over many independent minded people to his side. He gave very convincing arguments for the bank bailout, for the investment in energy research and his push for Universal health care.



In a very combative mood he derided the people whose intention is only to block him from doing his work just to score political points over him. He said "In this new decade, it's time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength. And tonight, I'd like to talk about how, together, we can deliver on that promise.....". That was a very pointed reference to those people who are in the way between him and his objectives.

If anybody had thought that he will back off from his goals because of the loss in Massachusetts or the problems faced by the health care bill, he proved them completely wrong. He implored the republicans to do the right thing and not oppose him for short term gains. He said if our fathers had thought of only short term gains, America would not be what it is today.

Far from sounding disheartened he said he was never as hopeful as he is today about the bright future of US. So that is the man who reminded the voters the Obama during the Presidential campaign. I think it restored the hope and confidence Americans had in him which might have been dented thanks to the Media and his opponents going over board in reading too much into the recent short term losses.

His most reassuring statement was when he sternly said "We don't quit. I don't quit"

Movie Review: Sin Nombre (2009 - Spanish)

Title : Sin Nombre (No name)

Spanish with English Subtitles

Starring: Many unknown actors


Writer and Director: Cary Fukunaga




Score: 8.5/10



This is the story about the aspirations of an impoverished family from Guatemala for a better life. The father and his son and daughter Seyra take up the arduous journey to come to the US border through Mexico. I am a sucker for any movie which involves the characters being on road and giving us a visual glimpse of different towns, people and terrains. This movie had all of it. The journey starts with the family getting on top of a train's roof with the intent of making it to US.



At the same time across the border on Mexico we watch the life of Willy also known as Casper, a teenager who is part of a violent gang which is involved in turf wars with a rival gang. Killing the rival gang members is their main activity. It is led by a brutal leader who shows his mettle when he kills a rival gang member and cuts him up and feed him to dogs. Willey introduces a young boy of 13 or 14 years into the gang. We watch the initiation of the boy when he is mercilessly battered by a bunch of gang members while the leader counts from 1 to 13. Since the boy survives this assault, he is now inducted into the gang. For reasons I will not divulge Willey becomes disheartened with his gang. This movie becomes interesting when these 2 stories intersect each other in the form Willey and Seyra's relationship.



The movie successfully captures the abject poverty and the resulting distress and destitution in the third world countries. This drives the young members into gangs and the related dangerous life styles. The scenes of a large group of men, women and children lying on the railway tracks waiting for the train to come is a very powerful image and gives a very good background on why the characters are trying to cross into US. The train journey and the natural landscape provide a fantastic reflection of the situations and emotions in which the main characters find themselves in. The start of a new morning also brings a glimmer of hope on the faces of the travelers. The beautiful landscape of Mexico is a great backdrop and it is a pleasure to see it amidst the couple of towns through which the train passes with these prospective illegal immigrants. One very memorable scene involves a group of boys and girls throwing fruits into the hands of these travelers much to the gratitude of the recipients . In the process of this story we are given a fantastic study of many different types of human emotions and characters. Large part of the credit should go to the script writer Cary Fukunaga for weaving a complex set of realities into a visually stunning and gripping story. The director (Cary Fukunaga again) also has exercised complete control and maturity in how he handles the story without giving in for gimmickry and populist techniques.




The photography captures the rough and beautiful terrain of Guatemala and Mexico in a spectacular style. The picturization of the train journey and choice of locales such as the desolate railway station is very effective. The music is different and is haunting. The actors have given some excellent performances. It is a very humane story exposing the way people make choices in their lives.

I am really amazed at the number of good movies that are coming out of Mexico. This one is definitely one of the most exciting movies I have watched.

This gets 8.5/10

Kannada Films - 75 years. Radio program

You can listen to "75 years of Kannada films - a flash back" interview with Dr. Puttaswamy here.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Review: Gokula Nirgamana (2010)

Title: Gokula Nirgamana dance drama
Written by: Padmasri Pu. Ti.. Narasimhachar
Director and Choreographer: Gargi Panchangam
Produced by: Alamelu Iyengar
Music: Subhapriya Srivatsan and Hemmige Srivatsan
Location: Smithwick Theatre at Foot Hills College, Los Altos, California.

Score: 9.5 out 10

The great Kannada poet Pu. Ti. Narasimhachar has penned some of the best lyrical works in Kannada literature. Gokula Nirgama is perhaps the most beloved and popular among his works. I think this is not only because of the timeless and universal appeal of Krishna and Radha's romance but also because it has been captured in very beautiful lyrics with an inbuilt musicality which shows that Pu.ti.na was not only a great poet but he also had a deep understanding of music. The ending of the this story is also of great importance .

The current production which I watched was produced by the poet's daughter Alamelu Iyengar who is well known for her wide ranging involvement in cultural activities including drama. It was organized as part of a concert series by the group 'South India Fine Arts' in California.

The story is a depiction of Radha's love and devotion for Krishna. The entire presentation was in the form of a dance drama based on the Bharatanatyam dance tradition. The verses of the poet's work were performed by a live music group and the emotions in the verses were depicted by excellent dance performances set to the beat and tune of the music.

The dance choreographed by Gargi Panchangam had a class of beauty and artistry. Some of the songs are already popular among the music lovers. To watch Radha and Krishna dance to this music with the Gopikas was a feast to the eyes. Gargi as Radha was simply exquisite in her dance and in her emotions. As Alamelu rightly put it she personified the Radha of Pu.ti.na's imagination. Pushpa Ramanujam as Krishna embodied his charm and also helped to enhance the beauty of Nandagokula and his romantic relationship with Radha.

The Gopikas were a beautiful compliment to Radha and Krishna. Their dances were excellent and most notable was the Raasa Leele piece. The arathi offered to Krishna and the way the entire troupe froze in their devotion to Krishna made a deep impression.

The music provided the strong base for the dancers to perform. The composition and rendering by the troupe headed by Hemmige Srivatsan and Subhapriya Srivatsan was a display of fine artistic performance.

Stage settings and sound provided good support. The tree on the stage looked more symbolic than being a natural part of the scenery. Lighting added a lot to make the performance look as good as it did. The costumes were grand.

In an otherwise perfect execution there is some scope for improvement. The first 20 minutes or so felt a bit disjointed. Individually the dances were very good but there was no seamless transition between 2 pieces. To put it in a different way, it was after the arrival of Krishna that the audience got glued to the performance. Radhe's anticipation of Krishna was electrifying. The dances of the gollas could have been performed better as a group. The gollas could also add finer touch to their dance instead of the pop-folk style of dance. The contrast between the bharatanatyam dancers and the gollas stood out. It will be nice if the gollas' dances blend with the main style. The sticks in their hands were a distraction or they moved randomly affecting the dance. Perhaps the speeches at the end should have been without frequent interruptions. Now this one is more about the venue - it is really unfair to expect the elderly patrons and children to climb the hill. It is quite strenuous. The organizers did offer to mitigate this trouble by offering rides to people who required it. But not many people knew of it. All these external issues do have an effect on the audience's experience of the performance.

On the whole the production is commendable for its conceptualization and performance.